A Dream Worth Keeping
by Whisper In The Dark Production
Summary: I fall asleep and I dream of what was . . . and what might have been. It was seven years ago, deep into our pasts. That time will not return to us . . . we'll never get it back. But at least it's still . . . a dream worth keeping. No matter what. You'll always be my Claire.
1. A 1st Class Mission

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Final Fantasy franchise. Oh, but if I did . . . ;)**

**Author's Note: This fanfic is a crossover between the Final Fantasy VII series, Final Fantasy X and X-2, and Final Fantasy XIII. I know that the story may be a little weird, but it's something I came up with when I was thinking of a fanfic to write. I actually thought of it when I was awake at 5:00 in the morning anyway, so that is going to be my excuse if this turns out suckish. By the way, I love getting reviews of opinions and advice, but I don't like it when people just say things to be assholes. If you don't like it, just don't read it. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy and send me some feedback soon. :)**

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SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack Fair entered the Briefing Room to meet Angeal and a blonde man sitting at the table.

"Zack. It's good to finally meet face to face." The man began as he rose out of his chair. "Lazard, Director of SOLDIER."

Lazard offered his hand out to the younger man who happily accepted the hand shake.

"Heya!"

The Director gave Zack a smirk, he liked the boy's upbeat attitude. After introductions were made, he returned his attention to his computer screen. "On to business."

Lazard began typing on his keyboard and pulled up a picture of a young, brunette girl onto the projector. Zack was immediately drawn to her two-toned, green and blue eyes.

"My daughter, Yuna." The blonde man said. Zack was a little surprised, he never would have believed that Lazard was old enough to be the father of a teenage girl. He turned to Angeal who was smiling at Yuna's picture.

"She's been in Spira for the past year, training to become a summoner. I've ordered the 1st Class to be her protection until she reaches Midgar. She'll arrive in Junon." The Director explained.

"Wait. You said the 1st Class." The young Soldier pointed out. "So, why did you call me in?"

"Angeal speaks a great deal about you." Lazard began.

"I've recommended you for first." The other black-haired man said. Zack turned to his friend, not being able to control himself.

"Angeal! I love you, man! Ang - " Angeal was attacked by one of Zack's bear hugs, but he managed to push him off.

"Don't make me regret his, Zack. Yuna is a serious matter."

"Sir!" The younger Soldier replied. Zack had heard of summoners before. They didn't use Summon materia like Soldiers. Instead, they made summoning an art form and were highly respected for it. The thought of actually getting to meet one of these people made Zack giddy with excitement.

"Once you're packed, we'll leave at once." Angeal stated as he got up from his chair. He exited the Briefing Room, leaving Zack and the Director alone.

"I'm counting on you." Lazard promised.

"Sir!" Zack repeated.

"By the way, what is your dream? To become 1st, is it?" The blonde man guessed.

"No." The Soldier turned, placing his hands on his hips in some sort of heroic pose. "To become a hero!"

"Ah, good! Unattainable dreams are the best kind." Zack was a bit disappointed to hear this coming from the Director.

"Uh, thanks?" He answered, his shoulders slumping.

**xXx**

The Soldiers were headed off on the Shinra helicopter to Junon, Zack was overwhelmed with excitement. He couldn't believe he was sitting with the whole 1st Class and would be one of them soon. Genesis was reading LOVELESS to himself, Sephiroth was patiently gazing out the window, and Angeal was busy making sure Zack didn't embarrass him anymore. Also, a Shinra recruit was with them. He didn't talk to anybody, so he was practically invisible.

"So, this girl is a summoner, right?" The giddy Soldier asked his friend. Angeal nodded.

"You think she's killed people before?" Zack quizzed curiously. He noticed Genesis looking up from his book, shooting a glared eye his way. He didn't think much of it though.

"Zack, Yuna became a summoner to protect people." Angeal explained with a sigh.

"Oh. But she can summon a huge monster to come down and crush someone though, can't she?" The youngest Soldier grinned widely. The three 1st Classes all groaned with annoyance. Zack knew he was probably getting on their nerves, but he just couldn't help it. He made an effort to remain quiet during the rest of the ride to Junon.

They arrived in the old city, where they would meet Yuna at the docks. Seeing the poverty that surrounded him, Zack was grateful to grow up in Gongaga. It wasn't any place fancy, but it was better than this.

Yuna's ship showed up in reasonable time, she was one of the first to come off the ramp. She found the group of Soldiers and came toward them with a smiling face. When Zack saw her in person for the first time, he was pretty disappointed. Here he was expecting some warrior-like female in Valkyrie armor, the whole nine yards. Instead, he saw a kid. She was only a few years younger than he was, but still just a kid.

After greeting Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth, Angeal led the girl over to him.

"Zack Fair, this is Yuna. The Director's daughter." The older man said, formally introducing the two. The girl smiled and curtsied whimsically. This made Zack chuckle.

"Nice to meet you, ." Yuna said politely.

"SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack Fair, at your service!" Zack bowed smiling. The brunette giggled. Although Yuna wasn't a hardcore warrior, Zack liked her. He hoped that they would be friends.

"Even with that helmet on, I still recognize you, Cloud." The girl turned to the Shinra recruit and pushed his helmet up with her index finger, revealing most of his face. They grinned widely and hugged each other.

"I can barely put my arms around you." Yuna giggled. "Shinra's bulking you up, huh?" She added, nudging her elbow into the young man's side. He smiled, clearly embarrassed.

"You two know each other?" Genesis asked, walking over to stand at Yuna's side.

"This is Cloud. He's my cousin." The girl answered, smiling at the red headed Soldier.

After a little chit-chat, they left Junon and were headed home. The others were quiet, but Yuna and Cloud were conversing and Zack could help up listen. They talked about Yuna's summoner training, the friends she'd made, their families.

"So, how's your mom?" Yuna asked the blonde, spiky-haired boy sitting across from her.

"She's fine. Struggling a little to get by, but I try to help out when I can." Cloud answered her. Yuna nodded, showing that she understood.

"What about your sisters? I miss them so much!" The brunette girl's face lit up.

"They miss you too. Especially Claire." Cloud replied. Zack noticed the smile that formed on Yuna's lips. He guessed whoever Claire was, she must have been close to her.

That name caught Sephiroth's attention. _Claire_. He looked at the blonde boy, his face looked so familiar. _It had to be a coincidence. There was no way that it could be the same Claire._

"Do you know when you're going back to Nibelheim? I'd like to go with you to visit everyone." The girl's words only confirmed what Sephiroth had feared. He felt a sickness in his stomach, as if the shock was making him nauseous. _Claire. Nibelheim._


	2. Father and Daughter Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Final Fantasy franchise. Oh, but if I did . . . ;)**

**Author's Note: WARNING! Due to the storyline, the original events of Crisis Core have been altered. Sorry to anyone who takes offense. ANYWAYS! I love this story so much. Even if no one else thinks that it's any count, I think it is AWESOMENESS! I didn't think the first chapter was going to turn out as well as it did. The only thing that I wasn't happy about was that it was kinda short. But it left a pretty good cliff hanger ^_^ And I loved that cute moment between Zack and Yuna. I believe they would be friends in Final Fantasy and probably act like that if they met. Anyways, I don't want to keep you from reading this chapter any longer. Don't forget to leave a review and ENJOY! :)**

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The sky had now darkened, the ride back to Midgar seemed to be taking longer than the one to Junon. Zack had hoped for a little more action. How was he suppose to prove that he was 1st Class material if he hadn't gotten the chance to? His restless, Mako infused eyes glanced around the interior of the chopper. Yuna had fallen asleep and was now laying her head over on Genesis's shoulder. It was strange. He'd always seemed like a pretty distant guy, but he seemed different with Yuna.

Zack leaned back against his seat, sighing.

"Impatient, are we?" Angeal smiled. He knew Zack could be as restless as a puppy and how boring this mission must have been for him.

"I just expected a 1st Class mission to be a little more, you know, interesting." The younger Soldier said smugly. Angeal laughed.

"Just remember, it's not over yet." He replied, hoping to cheer the kid up a little.

The helicopter jolted all of a sudden, waking Yuna. The Soldiers remained calm, but were instantly alert.

"Angeal, what was that?" Zack asked just before the chopper rattled once more. His heart was racing with joy and excitement. _Finally_.

The older Soldier looked out the window, seeing another helicopter flying beside them. He peered closer, noticing that there were two cables where it had attached itself to their own chopper.

"An anti-Shinra group, no doubt." Angeal guessed.

The enemy heli's side door opened, revealing several armored men with guns.

"Zack, this will be your show." His mentor said. The younger Soldier nodded, he was more than ready. As Angeal was preparing to open the side door of the chopper for Zack, Genesis had Yuna shielded with his body. If the enemy began to shoot, he would be ready to take a bullet for her.

The door opened and the 2nd Class leaped onto the enemy's chopper, getting the upper hand with his surprise attack. He cut down four men there. While he had them busy, Sephiroth used his long sword to cut the cables connecting the two helicopters.

"What are you doing? Zack is still over there!" Angeal shouted.

"When he kills their pilot, that helicopter is coming down. I don't plan on going with it." Sephiroth replied in his usual, calm tone. Angeal watched the enemy's chopper, he couldn't see Zack inside. He hoped that the kid would be okay.

Suddenly, the helicopter began to tilt and fall downward. The 2nd Class Zack jump out seconds before it went plummeting down, he just barely caught the foot frame of the Shinra chopper. Angeal helped him up and closed the side door. The young Soldier laid down in the floor, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" Yuna asked, her eyes filled with concern for the one who'd saved everyone. She noticed a scrap on his left arm.

"Never better." Zack answered with a smile and a thumbs up. He laughed, surprised at how fast everything had happened. As soon as he'd jumped into the other helicopter, he was being shot at. He managed to block it all with his sword and somehow take his enemies down. Then, he went into the cockpit where the pilot fired at him with a handgun a couple times. Again, he dodged the bullets and killed his attacker. It all seemed like a blur, a rush of adrenaline.

"Well, at least now I'll have something to report back to the Director." Angeal said, shaking Zack from his thoughts.

"Really?" He asked with a smile. His moment of happiness was interrupted when the Shinra recruit vomited in the corner.

"You okay over there?" He asked the blonde, trying to resist the urge to laugh. The only answer he received was more puking sounds. "That's gross."

**xXx**

When the Shinra helicopter landed back in Midgar, Sephiroth was the first one out. He seemed eager to hurry away, Zack wondered if the SOLDIER Hero was about to get sick like the recruit. Maybe he was afraid of heights. Zack laughed to himself at the thought. _A 1st Class afraid of heights? _It sounded silly. He climbed off the chopper, and turned to help Yuna.

"Need some help?" He smiled, holding his hand out for her.

"Yuna." A certain red headed Soldier moved in front of Zack and reached for her. His angelic smile beaming. "You're father's waiting."

The girl took Genesis's hand as she carefully stepped onto the ground, glancing back at Zack apologetically. He responded with a crooked smile, he found Genesis's persistence funny. Yuna didn't appreciate the way Genesis acted when they were together. She didn't mind him being over-protective, that was his job. But when he went so far as to being rude, it really bothered her. She'd known Genesis since she was a child, and he'd always been this way. She knew that it was better not to say anything.

After everyone had exited the helicopter, the Shinra recruit said good-bye to Yuna and went back to his job and Angeal joined them.

"Zack, are you coming? I'm sure the Director would like to have a word with you." Angeal asked. The younger Soldier responded with a beaming smile and followed the three into the Shinra building.

They took the elevator to level 49. Several times in the elevator Zack would glance at Yuna making silly faces at Genesis to make her laugh. The girl couldn't hold back her giggles. This made Genesis feel left out and he would grit his teeth behind his lips.

When the elevator's doors opened at SOLDIER, Director Lazard was there ready to greet them. Yuna hurried to her father, very happy to see him.

"Father, I missed you." She smiled at him as he welcomed her into an embrace. Then, Lazard turned his attention to the Soldiers who had been standing there patiently.

"I owe you thanks for returning my daughter to me safely."

"It's Zack who deserves the credit. He took down an entire anti-Shinra helicopter on his own." Angeal said, pushing the 2nd Class in front of the Director. Zack blushed a little, but he couldn't help feeling especially proud of himself.

"Is that so?" Lazard smiled, obviously impressed. "Then thank you, ." He offered his hand out to the young man who gave the Director a calm hand shake. He had to restrain himself from possibly dislocating Lazard's shoulder.

"Angeal, I'd like to further discuss this in my office. Good evening, Zack, Genesis." The blonde man said as he turned to leave, Angeal followed him. Yuna remained in the hall with the two other Soldiers.

"I don't believe I have thanked you for saving our lives tonight." The young girl stepped toward Zack who scratched his head bashfully.

"Oh, uh, you're welcome. It was no trouble at all really." Zack replied. Yuna smiled and nodded once.

"Still, I am glad that you were with us and I hope you make it to first Mr. Fair." With that Yuna headed to the Director's office. Zack watched as Genesis followed her. He was hopeful that Lazard would see him has 1st Class material. He turned down the opposite end of the hall and found Sephiroth leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his partially exposed chest. He was curious as to why the 1st was so impatient during the flight back to Midgar.

"Sephiroth, uh, hi. Everything okay?" He asked nervously, feeling a little intimidated by the Soldier Hero.

"Hmm?" The silver-haired man tore himself away from his thoughts.

"It's just that you seemed a little on the trip back. I thought something may be wrong." Sephiroth still didn't seem engaged into what Zack was saying.

"Thanks for your concern." Was all the Soldier Hero said. Zack took it as his cue to leave.

"Well, uh, okay then. Evening." He added before walking off to get in some squats before he left to go home for the night.

That name was still stuck in Sephiroth's head. _Claire_. He didn't think that it was possible, but it was much too strange to be a coincidence. The only way that he could be sure was to go to Nibelheim and find out for himself. If it was true, then he knew what must be done.


	3. Backwater Experts

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the Final Fantasy franchise. Oh, but if I did . . . ;)**

**Author's Note: ****WARNING! Due to the storyline, the original events of Crisis Core have been altered in this chapter . . . MAJORLY . . so if you like Crisis Core the way it is, you probably won't be too happy. I apologize for taking so long to update this. I hope you liked the last chapter, although it was a little boring. Hopefully things will liven up in the next few chapters. Also, don't forget to leave a review. :)**

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The next few days seemed like years to Zack Fair as he awaited to hear back from the Director. He was starting to feel a little worried and discouraged. On the fourth day, Zack went in for work and found Angeal waiting for him as he got of the elevator.

"Lazard wants to see you in his office." The older man said with a slight hint of a smile. Zack instantly perked up.

"Seriously?"

Angeal nodded and led him to the Director's room. The younger Soldier was completely overwhelmed with excitement. _1st Class, here I come! _Zack thought to himself as he entered Lazard's office. When he approached the desk, he almost couldn't contain himself. The Director spun around in his chair, facing the anxious Soldier.

"Congratulations." The man began. At that one word, Zack nearly hit the floor. "As of this moment, you're promoted to SOLDIER 1st Class."

Zack was in a state of shock. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"Really?" He ecstatically switched his glance between the Director and his friend. Then, he turned back to the blonde man in disbelief. "After just one assignment?"

He gained a chuckle from the man behind the desk.

"It isn't as simple as you think, Zack. You saved my daughter's life. You have the potential and courage of a 1st Class SOLDIER, unless you're having second thoughts." Lazard said thoughtfully. Though Zack might have thought that it was just one little mission, his success was crucial to Lazard and his daughter.

"No, of course not." Zack reassured the Director who smiled.

"Good. You have a 1st Class uniform ready for you. Go change and I'll be giving you your new assignment." The Director instructed.

Before Zack rushed out of the room, he attacked Angeal with another one of his bear hugs. Angeal could only laugh at his young friend's excitement. _Restless as a puppy._ The newest addition to the 1st Class hurried out of Lazard's office and went to change into his new uniform. After getting the majority of his outfit on, he hopped on one foot down the hallway while slipping into his second boot. He returned to Lazard's room, slightly panting. He felt like a new man in the black SOLDIER attire.

"Ready for your first mission as a 1st Class?" Lazard smiled.

"Absolutely!" Zack replied, grinning from ear to ear. He was about to go into spasms.

"Yuna is going to be traveling to Nibelheim for a visit. You will be accompanying her and making sure that she remains safe." The Director informed the Soldier. Zack kind of felt like he was becoming a personal babysitter, but that didn't bother him. He was too happy about making 1st.

"Count me in." Zack grinned happily.

"He will go with you." Lazard said as he nodded his head towards a another person entering the room. Zack half turned to see a dark-haired man in a black suit, his hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Tseng of the Turks." The man introduced himself in a calm voice.

"Zack." The young Soldier returned the introduction. "So, when do we leave?"

"Yuna is in the process of gathering her things. Go ahead and pack. Let me know when you're ready to go." Tseng instructed. Zack nodded and said a quick goodbye to Lazard and Angeal before he left the office for a second time. He was startled when he found Genesis standing just outside the door.

"Oh, hey." The younger man smiled at his fellow 1st Class.

"I heard you're going to be watching over Lazard's daughter." Genesis said in a gloomy tone.

"Yep. Pretty cool, huh?" Zack replied cheerfully. Genesis didn't seem to share his enthusiasm.

"Just remember that this is a mission and not a vacation. If anything happens to Yuna, demotion won't be the only thing you'll have to be afraid of." He retorted, eying Zack coldly.

"Don't worry. I'll stay focused." The younger one reassured the other confidently. Genesis continued to stare Zack down as he walked past him.

"You had better hope so." Was all that he said as he went on his way.

Zack watched Genesis continue down the hall, watching him quizzically. He wasn't sure why that guy seemed to have it out for him. Then again, Genesis was like that with almost everyone, except Yuna.

Zack brushed the situation off and went to the locker room. He didn't bring much, just a couple changes of clothes. He would probably be in his uniform most of the time anyway, so the few clothes that he brought would be enough. He packed some typical necessities and then he was ready to leave.

He met up with Tseng and Yuna in the level 49 hallway. There were two Shinra infantrymen with them.

"Heya!" The Soldier said cheerfully to the girl in the kimono like dress.

"Hi" Yuna giggled.

"Are you ready?" Tseng asked the two. They both nodded. Tseng led them outside, the Shinra troops followed them.

**xXx**

Not long after the small group boarded the helicopter, the infantryman sitting closest to Yuna began to look nauseous. Zack recognized the troop under his helmet enough to know that it was Yuna's motion sick cousin. The recruit had to lean his head out the open side of the helicopter to catch some fresh air.

"Does he always get like that?" Zack asked the girl sitting in front of him. Yuna nodded with a little giggle. Zack laughed too.

This was going to be a pretty long trip to Nibelheim, Zack knew that he would have to do something to keep himself occupied.

"So, who are you going to visit all the way out in Nibelheim?" He asked curiously.

"My cousins. I haven't seen them in a while." Yuna answered with a smile, obviously thinking about whoever her cousins were.

"I bet you miss them." Zack said casually, although he found it strange that a summoner would have family in a place like Nibelheim.

"I do." Yuna smiled.

The two of them were quite for a moment before it became really awkward when the blonde Shinra recruit started to make vomiting sounds out the side of the helicopter.

"So, it's gotta suck having to travel so much." Zack began again to keep his mind off of the infantryman puking his guts out.

"Not really. I get to meet new people and make friends." Yuna said with another beaming smile.

Zack had only known Yuna for a few days, but he already felt like they were going to be good friends. Of course, he would have to be careful around Genesis, unless he wanted his ass handed to him.

Zack and Yuna went on talking, mostly about becoming a summoner. The Soldier still found it amazing that someone as young as Yuna could be capable of summoning monsters.

It had been a while since they had left Midgar when the helicopter started jolting. Tseng informed everyone that it was only turbulence, but Yuna was nervous and the blonde recruit wasn't feeling any better. The helicopter continued to drop out of the sky and the alarm went off, signaling that they were about to make impact with the ground.

Zack had just enough time to grab Yuna and shield her with his body before they came crashing down.

**xXx**

The air was filled with smoke only seconds after the helicopter crashed. Zack, Yuna, and the recruit was thrown out of the helicopter and had landed into the freezing snow.

The Soldier stood up and dusted the white powder from his body and looked around. Tseng and the second recruit were climbing out of the wreckage. He went to Yuna and her cousin.

"You okay?" The Soldier asked the girl, holding out his hand to her. Yuna sat up and looked around for a second before taking Zack's hand.

"I'm fine." She smiled reassuringly. After Zack made sure that Tseng and the two Shinra troops were alright, he began to wonder where they had crashed.

"Tseng, where are we?" He asked the Turk.

"It seems that we are somewhere near Modeoheim." Tseng answered calmly.

"Modeoheim? How did we get out here?" The Soldier asked bewildered.

"There was a storm coming where we were headed, we must have drifted too far off course." The Turk answered without even a hint of worry or concern.

"You're kidding." Zack sighed, seeing this to be a ridiculous situation.

"Well, at least no one was hurt." Yuna said, trying to make the ordeal seem a little better.

"Yeah, at least we're all in one piece. We'll be all right." Zack agreed optimistically.

"Thankfully, we have someone use to this kind of terrain." Tseng added.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a country boy." Zack sighed, shaking his head as if he had said this several times before.

"All right, then. We would have reached the Icicle Inn by now if we hadn't crashed. So, we're going to need to make up for lost time." Tseng explained as he walked toward a sketchy looking path on the side of the mountain. Zack walked ahead of him to lead the way.

"All right, follow me, then!" He called back to everyone, motioning for everyone to follow him.

Zack, Yuna, and her cousin were ahead of Tseng and the other recruit. The air and snow was bone chilling, but Zack was used to it from growing up in Gongaga. He half expected that Yuna would have some trouble, but she proved to be tough and held her own.

After at least an hour of walking, Tseng and the other infantryman had fallen back a ways. Yuna and her cousin had been able to keep up with Zack's pace.

"Yo! Don't fall to far behind!" Zack called to the Turk and the Shinra troop.

"At least someone is keeping up." The Soldier said to Yuna's cousin. After seeing how big of a wimp this recruit was when it came to flying, Zack was surprised he hadn't passed out already.

"Well, I'm a country boy, too." The usually quite infantryman replied.

"From where?" Zack asked curiously. They both stopped as Zack crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

"Nibelheim." The recruit said plainly. Zack burst with laughter. "How about you?"

"Me? Gongaga?" Zack answered proudly. This time, it was the recruit's turn to laugh. The Soldier took a little bit of offense. Yuna watched both of them, trying not to crack up herself.

"Hey, what's so funny about that?! You know Gongaga?" Zack demanded as the infantryman's giggles died down.

"No, but it's such a backwater name." Yuna's cousin answered.

"Ditto Nibelheim!" Zack smirked as he turned to start walking again.

"Like you've been there." The recruit pressed. Again, the Soldier stopped and faced him.

"I haven't, but there's a reactor there, right?" Zack asked, gaining a nod from the Shinra troop. "A mako reactor outside Midgar usually means . . ."

"Nothing else out there." The two said simotainiously, leading to both of them erupting with laughter.

Yuna sighed at her friend and her cousin and smiled. She was happy that they were getting along.

"Good news, Tseng! Me and . . ." Zack paused, realizing that he didn't know the guy's name. The recruit took of his helmet, revealing blonde hair that looked very much like the feathers of a chocobo.

"Cloud." The blonde recruit finished, showing a hint of a smile.

"Me and Cloud here are both backwater experts. Oh yeah!" The Soldier said to the Turk, finishing with a silly fist pump. Zack, Yuna, and Cloud all smiled at each other before continuing along the snowy path.

"Good. Carry on then." Tseng said smugly as he struggled to follow the three up the hill.


End file.
